“The long-awaited decision from Montgomery County Child Protective Services has arrived at the home of Danielle and Alex Meitiv, and it finds them ‘responsible’ for ‘unsubstantiated child neglect’ for letting their kids walk outside, unsupervised. If that decision makes no sense to you, either — how can parents be responsible for something that is unsubstantiated? — welcome to the place where common sense crashes into bureaucratic craziness.” [Lenore Skenazy, Free-Range Kids] The “finding of unsubstantiated child neglect means CPS will keep a file on the family for at least five years and leaves open the question of what would happen if the Meitiv children get reported again for walking without adult supervision.” [Donna St. George, Washington Post] Earlier here and here.

“Property of the Hess Estate Which Has Never Been Dedicated For Public Purposes.” That’s the message on a tiled mosaic triangle inset in a sidewalk at Seventh Avenue and Christopher Street in Manhattan’s West Village. It hearkens back to a 1920s-1930s dispute over eminent domain, and stands as the enduring monument to a property owner who wouldn’t give in [Dan Lewis, Now I Know, who adds a note on the historic Kelo v. New London dispute]

“[Attorney General Eric] Holder told POLITICO that between now and his departure… he will call for a lower standard of proof for civil rights crimes.” The Department has now confirmed that it will bring no federal civil rights charges against George Zimmerman in the Florida shooting of Trayvon Martin, and it is anticipated on many sides that it will eventually decline to bring such charges in the shooting of Michael Brown by Ferguson, Mo. police [Mike Allen, Politico]

[Originally posted Feb. 25 and carried forward to Mar. 3] I’m slowing down the pace at Overlawyered while I attend to some personal matters. (Update: I’m recovering from surgery, which went well.) Comments moderation should now be back close to normal, but posting itself will remain at a lower volume through maybe the middle of March, depending on circumstances, as I rest and recuperate.

Using antitrust law, New York seeks to force maker to go on producing older formulation of drug [Ilya Shapiro on Cato brief in Second Circuit] Courts have mostly rejected claims of a duty to supply grounded in obligation to patients [James Beck, Drug & Device Law]

“Patients see [biotech] startups and hope for a cure. Too many lawyers see them and hope for a payday.” [Standish M. Fleming, WSJ]

After suing the obvious defendants in New England Compounding Pharmacy contamination case, lawyers started in on the less obvious [Drug and Device Law, background on regulation-spurred rise of compounding pharmacies]

More: “Strategies are needed to encourage the U.S. population to drink water when they are thirsty.” [from the report, quoted approvingly (naturally) by NYT’s Mark Bittman, via James Taranto] AndBaylen Linnekin: “Consumers can also have their say through April 8. Open your mouth before the DGAC shuts it for you.”